Caston High School students Eva Hernandez, left, and Shiloh Baker, who won a VEX Robotics drag race competition, are shown. Caston High and Caston Elementary schools were recently recognized for their science-related curriculum by the national organization, Project Lead the Way. Photo provided by Nathan Speitel.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

FULTON — Caston elementary and Caston high schools have been honored for their science-related programming.

National organization, Project Lead the Way, which focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, recognized the two schools as Project Lead the Way Distinguished Schools for the current school year.

Caston Junior-Senior High School PLTW teacher, Nathan Speitel, who has helped train Caston elementary teachers on PLTW curriculum, said it’s the fourth year the elementary has gotten the distinction, but the first for the high school.

He said he believed “adding more classes” was what helped get the recognition, which schools had to apply for.

“We have three engineering high school classes now,” said Speitel, who’s taught at Caston for 17 years. “We also have two junior high STEM classes that are through Project Lead the Way.”

He said each grade at the elementary school does two units of PLTW classes.

“So, they kind of focus on some engineering aspects and some science-related aspects, so basically the STEM core that’s there for the elementary,” said Speitel. “It’s kind of a lead-in to what I do at the junior high and high school.”

“In seventh grade, I teach a nine-week rotation class. It’s called Flight and Space, and the eighth grade currently does an energy and the environment class,” he shared on the upper level classes. “High school does Introduction to Engineering, which is the first-year or first-level class. Second year is Principles of Engineering … My third-year — it could be a second-year class — it’s aerospace engineering.”

Speitel noted students in the high school classes get to work on 3-D printing, circuit work and building rockets.

He said the STEM classes give “a lot of students an outlet to use their hands, to be further engaged in the learning process where they can see the application of how math works and how science works.”

Since PLTW was implemented four years ago at the high school, more students have gotten involved with engineering classes, said Speitel.

“It’s just an honor to be recognized and to be able to offer those programs at such a smaller school,” he said.

Caston Elementary School third graders Parker Schroder, left, and Zayne Lerche work to rescue a toy tiger as part of Project Lead the Way programming in class. Photo provided by Nathan Speitel.